Thanks everyone for your {optimistic, pessimistic, realistic} replies. Especial thanks to C010T3 - I may take you up on your offer as the days get near.
Here is my plan:
- Leave GRU to GIG Sunday morning at 10am. Have a day pack with swimming trunk and a towel leaving my luggage at my hostel in Sao Paulo as I will still be checked in.
- Get a cab from the airport and get to a beach (recommendations are most welcome). Hang out, take a nap, walk around, eat, whatever. Are there any public bathrooms/changing rooms on Rio beaches?
- I plan on getting a ticket here in the next week or so:
http://www.rio-carnival.net/rio_carn...de-tickets.php (This looks pretty legit to me, I'm gonna get the cheapest ticket here). Head over there 8ish.
- Stay at the Carnival until 5am or so. Get a taxi and hop back to GIG - breakfast. Fly out to GRU at 8am.
- Go back to hostel in Sao Paulo. Shower, nap, relax. Fly back to the US at 10pm.
I was commenting on hoStel prices not hotel prices. Hostels in most places in the world, including Rio, charge less than $30 a night. Hotels charging $250 a night is not an absurdity even in the poorest countries. HoStels charging $250 a night, 5 nights min, is an absurdity.
I'm hoping that Rio at this time will be safer than normal due to more police being around and just pure safety in numbers. Altho pick pocketing will be worse but I'll be wearing an under-pants money belt (passport here) and all things in front pocket. I plan on drinking but not too much.